LOS ANGELES – Through some of the inevitabilities of opening night – the rust, the miscommunications, and the sloppiness, the signs were there on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors. The Thunder has a chance to be an elite, disruptive defense this season.
With Dennis Schröder in place of Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup as the latter returns in the near future from injury, the Thunder displayed a vision of what it can be in the 2018-19 campaign against the champions from the 2017-18 season. With a relentless wave of highly athletic, intelligent and bouncy players, one collective attribute stands above the rest: wingspan.